Cleveland's only touchdown came when Baker Mayfield hit David Njoku with a one-yard pass late in the first quarter, but Austin Seibert missed the extra point.
Other than a missed 41-yard field goal try by Seibert, the Browns didn't threaten to score again.
Baker Mayfield finished the day with 21 completions from 39 attempts, finishing with 189 yards with the mentioned touchdown and one interception.
Kareem Hunt finished with 72 yards rushing on thirteen carries with Nick Chubb running for sixty yards on ten carries.
The now 0-1 Browns will return home for the next two games with a Thursday night battle with the Bengals before the following Sunday visit from the Washington "Buckeyes".
Brownie Bits
1) This wasn't ALL bad and it's hard to type that in a 38-6 loss.
BUT the key time of the game was in the second quarter, the Browns are driving and are at Baltimore's 29-yard line.
Then, the plays fall like this: False start, complete pass for one yard to Odell Beckham with a facemask on Beckham, incomplete pass, sack, delay of game, incomplete pass.
Fourth and FORTY ONE!
2) Still, the Browns use a great kick by Jamie Gillan to down the ball at the Baltimore one.
Baltimore marches ninety-nine yards to lead 17-6.
Austin Siebert misses from 41 yards in what would be the Browns final threat of the day with 1:23 to go in the half and Baltimore moves 69 yards in 35 seconds for a touchdown.
24-6 at the half = Ballgame
3) Baker Mayfield's play might not have been the worst of the Browns, but it wasn't anything to inspire either.
Mayfield was intercepted on the first drive on a tipped pass, struggled with Odell Beckham, despite throwing to him ten times. overthrew a wide-open Beckham on a deep route that would have certainly been a score since the Ravens defender had stumbled, and his longest completion was 28 yards to David Njoku, which was more to the credit of Njoku than Mayfield as Njoku made a spectacular leaping catch along the sidelines.
4) Even considering Mayfield's play, I still wouldn't even make a passing consideration of replacing Mayfield with backup Case Keenum.
The Browns need to make a decision on whether to pick up Mayfield's fifth-year option over the winter, and they won't be able to make an evaluation without playing Mayfield- as painful as that may be.
5) Mayfield's accuracy was raved about when he was drafted and many criticized that part of Lamar Jackson's game.
I liked Jackson more than most did entering the draft of 2018 and I even floated the idea of passing on a quarterback at 1 and 4 ( Cleveland had two first-rounders) and trading back into the first round and tabbing Jackson.
Jackson completed 20 of 25 and made every throw.
Take that- "Buddy Boy".
6) I noted in the Browns preview that I had concerns about Austin Seibert's accuracy beyond forty yards and his five missed extra points in 2019.
So, Seibert missed his only extra-point attempt and his only field goal of forty-one yards went wide.
I wouldn't be surprised if Seibert is replaced by Cody Parkey off the practice squad and if he isn't, it could be only because of the early Thursday game this week.
7) The glaring weaknesses on the defense were the linebackers and safeties entering the season and I feel no better about them now.
Mark Andrews seemed to be open every play and the Ravens continued to send receivers on slant routes for catch and run chunks of yardage.
Veteran safety Andrew Sendejo was signed to mentor Grant Delpit and in the perfect world wouldn't have been starting before Delpit's injury.
It's easy to see why Minnesota or the Browns cannot start him, he's just too slow to stay with receivers, and pass-catchers can run by him or jump over him.
Sendejo is a liability and the Browns need to get Ronnie Harrison quickly up to speed to hopefully install him as the starter by week three when the Browns have ten days in between the Bengals and Washington.
Taviarre Thomas has been forced into action due to injuries to several Cleveland corners and Thomas showed why he is best suited to be a special teams performer.
8) The Browns were able to run the ball well with Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb but had to abandon that in the second half.
I still think the run game is the way to go for this offense, but that will need to grab a lead and hold it!
9) Odell Beckham was targeted ten times, caught three for a mere twenty-two yards.
Included was a third and two throw that was on the money from Mayfield, would have been a first down and instead forced a missed Austin Seibert field goal.
Beckham and Baker Mayfield have next to no "feel" for each other even after last season and training camp and I'm not sure what to do about it.
The Browns have tried forcing the ball to Beckham and that hasn't worked.
The only thing that I can think of is to try to hit him in mid-stride in the middle of the field.
Beckham was effective with those as a Giant, it's worth a try.
10) The defense had its struggles, but they did force a turnover on their own twelve when Larry Ogunjobi stripped the ball from Baltimore's Patrick Ricard with Myles Garrett falling on the ball.
Ogunjobi had a strong game, especially in the first half.
The Browns did hold Baltimore to 107 yards on the ground, averaging under four yards a carry.
11) Kevin Stefanski called a fake punt on the first punt of the year inside their own thirty-yard line.
Jamie Gillan dropped the ball on the play and was swarmed over.
It seems like so many coaches in their first game try something like this and I'm not sure why.
Is it to establish a reputation for such plays? Or a new coach struggling with telling his assistant that something is a bad idea?
12) I thought rookie left tackle Jedrick Wills played fairly well in his first start.
Wills was called for one holding penalty, which he committed because he was beaten on the rush, but otherwise was decent enough.
Wills injured his left leg in the third quarter and the late word has a possible bruise, but an MRI is in store for Monday.
The Browns also lost rookie linebacker Jacob Phillips and tight end David Njoku during the game.
13) Wrapping up, the Browns need to win one of their next two games to avoid a season out of control.
Two games at home against Cincinnati and Washington, two bad football teams, are both possible wins and they better get one of them as the three games after that are at Dallas, Indianapolis at home, and at Pittsburgh.
I think they will get at least one of the two and maybe both, but I can't be sure of that.
Back later with the Boxing Challenge on the ESPN plus card from Las Vegas from Top Rank.
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